The 1st wave of Japanese Naval aircraft (108) flying from Admiral Nagumo's carriers are
launched at Midway Island. USAAF and Marine aircraft based on Midway attack the Japanese
carriers. 16 x B17E (431st BS) launch from Midway at 04.00 am loaded with 4 x
500 lb bombs and extra fuel -originally to attack the Troopship fleet, but are
diverted in the air to attack the Japanese main carrier fleet at 08.00 am. There
may well have been attempted interception by the Zeros of the Japanese Carrier
fleet CAP. After the limited success of the first wave, a second wave attack, on Midway, is
ordered.
Meanwhile the US carrier forces off Midway have spotted the Japanese carriers. They get their attack underway. The Japanese scouts then find the US carriers. Nagumo orders a change in armament for the strike. His first wave also returns. The appearance of the US carriers is not something that Nagumo had expected.
While the Japanese carriers are re-arming their strike, the US attack force finds them. This strike has been somewhat unorganized. The range has forced a separation of the torpedo planes from the dive bombers. The TBDs arrive 1st with their torpedos at low level. Their attack is ineffective with most planes of the force lost.
The dive bombers now arrive overhead and attack. The Japanese fighters have been caught
at low level and are ineffective against the dive bombers. Between 10:25 and 10:28 this
morning hits are made on carriers Kaga, Akagi, and Soryu. These 3 carriers are fatally hit
and sink soon thereafter. The US attack has caught them with planes in various stages of
refueling and rearming. The fumes and armaments contribute to the rapid demise of these
ships. Also a factor is the level of Japanese damage control.
This battle ends and the balance of power changes hands in the Pacific.
This victory had born a high cost, particularly among the young Navy, Marine, and Army aviators that had carried the battle to the enemy. During the days fighting the three American carriers had lost seventy-eight aircraft in action, with with nine others out of action and a further twenty trapped aboard the abandoned YORKTOWN. Additionally, the Midway based squadrons had lost thirty-six planes, with fifteen others out of action. Overall, the days had cost the bean counters 158 aircraft. But the real cost was in men, not machines. Although twenty-four downed aviators had been rescued during the day, ten were confirmed dead, twenty-two were wounded, and a staggering 183 were missing although, fortunately, twenty-six of these were to be rescued in the next few days. (Mark Horan)
On no other day in the entire Pacific war would as many aircraft be lost in a single day's battle, and the staggering number of aviator casualties suffered on 4 June would not be exceeded either. In fact, even on their worst days, the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces would be hard pressed to top the total number of actual fatalities (167) suffered on 4 June. (Mark Horan)
A Japanese destroyer picks up a TBD Devastator pilot of Torpedo Squadron Three (VT-3) and a second destroyer picks up the two-man crew of a Scouting Squadron Six (VS-6) SBD Dauntless. After interrogation, all three are murdered.
The Grumman TBF Avenger enters combat during the Battle of Midway.
Six unescorted TBF-1s of the shore-based element of Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8), which is operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), attack the Japanese fleet. Five Avengers are shot down and the sixth makes it back to Midway but it is damaged beyond repair. None of the TBFs scored a torpedo hit on the enemy force. (Jack McKillop and Peter Avalon)